1. Field
This disclosure relates to apparel. More particularly, this disclosure relates to a shirt exhibiting “cooling” characteristics and methods of making the same.
2. State of the Art
Outdoor activity in the heat and physical exertion from work or sports causes the human body to heat up, resulting in sweat which removes heat from the body. Over the years, people have used various techniques to keep themselves cool in the outdoors and during physical exertion. One example of a cooling technique is the pouring of cold water on the skin and/or clothes of the person attempting to keep cool. Another example is the consumption of cold liquids which tends to result in profuse sweating, thereby reducing the body temperature. More recently, lines of clothing have been introduced that are made from fabric that wicks sweat away from the skin and keeps the wearer dry. These fabrics typically utilize a hydrophilic material which pulls the moisture (sweat) from the skin, and permits it to evaporate into the surrounding atmosphere.
By the middle of 2007, a polyester fiber with a substantially “X” shaped cross-section as shown in FIG. 1a was introduced for the purpose of speeding up moisture absorption and diffusion. The fiber, called “CoolPass”, and available from Jiangsu Hengli Chemical Fibre Co., Ltd. of Jiangsu, China, is formed by injection nozzle and has four concave sides and four rounded convex corners with channels being formed along the four concave sides of the surface of the fiber. These channels permit the ready channeling (distribution) of liquid from wet areas to dry areas.